Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-09-01
TIL PANIC AT PERDIDo.

The PANlU Al PERUlDU.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
Just how or when Perdido entered
upon an era of "fush times" is a
matter of small Importance.
The village was connected with the
outside world by astage making daily
trips to a river landing, a distance OF
about a dozen miles.
"Here's the Metropolitan" shouted
the stage driver, as we rolled up in
'front.' of a big two-story wooden build,
ing, with a broad piazza running all
the way around it,
As the Metropolitan was the only
hotel in Perdido. l lost no time in Sc
curing a room, Then ! strolled out
on the piazza to takea lookat things.
"Pow'ful peart town, amt it?"
The speaker was my landlord, Mr..
Zeb Duke.
! saw nothing to distinguish the
place from other villages in the cotton
belt of the southwest, but as it was
unnecessary to mention this fact to
MIR. Duke, | fell into his mood, and
answered accordingly.
You see befo' you. sir, the comm
metropolis of the southwest"
well, yes" | replied, there is plen-
ty OF room for your expansion"
Mr.. Duke regarded me doubtfully
Tor a moment.
But his d~istrust, if he felt any was
only temporary. He introduced the
loungers on the piazza with indescrim-
mate courtesy, but with significant
emphasis when he pronounced the
name OF Colonel Arper.
The colonel would have impressed
most people as a find looking man,
but | thought that his face had a reck-
less, wicked expression. His
black moustache and beard matched
his hair, and yet in the
sunlight each separate hair
looked like a quivering thread of fire.
He had bold black eyes, and a dark
completion wearing the flush that re-
suits from deep and strong potations.
Ibid not like this man, and yet it
was plain that he WAS doing his best
to be genial and clever. HIS short
round figure was that of the typical
jolly man, but although the Colonel
made Jokes and laughed at them there
was a false ring about his mirth.
"Cunnle," said Mr.. Duke, speaking
up suddenly, How many bales do
you count on this year?"
About a hundred" was the indiffer-
emit answer
You'll push it to a thousand yet,"
suggested one OF the crowd.
"Oh, yes" said the Colonel, "when
j get some more niggers. After next
year l am going to set my stake for a
thousand bales every season."
A little more talk on this line in
formed me that Arper had the finest
plantation on the river, that he owned
several hundred slaves, and that he
vas from every point of view the big
gest man in all that region. As it was
my intention to spend some tim at
Perdido. | found myself interested in
much that was discussed by thes>
hotel gossips. Something turned the
conversation to the business outlook
when Mr.. Duke volunteered a piece of
information.
"Pedder has sued Sexton and swears
he will sell HIM out"
A burst OF profanity from Colonel
Arper shocked me out OF my usual
selt-possession.
"Sexton is n blankety blank fool to
stand it," he said in conclusion.
"But il he is indebted to Pedder,
how can he help HIMSELF" / asked.
There was q general smile all round
the circle. Zeb Duke laughed heartily.
Colonel Arper did not smile. He
frowned, and a black cloud seemed to
settle over his face.
"Pedder picks his man." he said
sternly. "Do you think he would sue
me?"
mo, indeed OF course notl" came
in a chorus from the crowd.
"Pedder knows me" continued the
Colonel land he knows my peculiari-
ties. One of my pe~cnliarities, as you
all know, is a fondness for the shot
gun. The shot gun, gentlemen, is a
great regulator. 1t will settle a dit
ference OF opinion quicker than any
thing else. No, / have never been
sued, nor refused credit, and such a
thing is not likely to occur"
There was IN appreciative silence,
broken only by a few abmiring expires.
sions of approval. The Colonel laid
his hand in a friendly way On my
knee.
~ am worth, ] suppose, fully two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars"
said he but 1 owe something like
three hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars. Yet nobody sues me, and no.
body thinks OF it, and my credit Is
~irst-class. What do you think of
that?"
suggested that the people had con.
fdence in him.
"That's the secret" replied the Col
onei. "That is all there is IN it. They
know my views, my ~peculiarities, and
they have confidence in me. Now, if
credit is the life of trade, confidence is
the life OF credit. The man who de-
stroys confidence in meruins my cred
it, breakes ME up, just the same as
kills me, and by Cd, for such con
duct / would kill any man that walks
the esrtbl"
"And serve him right, too, Cunnle,"
chimed in Mr.. Duke. Pm with you"
The unanimity ofsentiment prevent.
ed discussion, and the colonePs po-
HE mflIdtlOn W accompany hiu W
the bar was accepted with alacrity.
Those are mine, Zeb," he said with
a graceful wave of his hand. after we
had imbibed our various beverages.
don't mention it, sir. That's all
right" was Zeb's ready response, as
veal filed out of the room.
aYes.s remarked Mr.. Duke to me
THAT night. Colonel Arper is the
wust man / ever struck. Strickly hon
ahble. a pufiek gentleman, but a bad
man, sir. from way back"
sHe seems to have very little re-
gard for human life,' i ventured to
say.
fcWeIl, that's when he's imposed up
ON" explained Mr.. Duke. "He's
materially kind hearted and lib'ral,
but when he thinks a man is trying to
crowd him, then look ont for great
snakesi"
asThe shot gun;;s l hintsd.
s5ssse, The shot SUD- OF the re-